Determination
by madmother2
Summary: It happens because Grace is determined not to die.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: This takes place between seasons 8 and 9. Spoilers for season 8.**

'What have you found?' asked Boyd.

It was team briefing and, as usual, the others let Eve go first,

'My initial analysis supports your theory that we have a previously undiscovered serial killer at work, Boyd,' said Eve, 'All of the victims died of dehydration and the crime scene evidence suggests that they all died where they were found.'

'So why didn't they leave?' asked Spence.

'I think that they were trapped there,' said Eve, slightly hesitantly, 'These nine had marks on their hands which correspond to marks on the doors where they were found and these three had been kicking at the walls.'

As she spoke, Eve pointed to the relevant pictures on the board.

'So, the killer locked them in and left them to die then came back later and unlocked the door?' asked Boyd.

'I think so, yes,' replied Eve.

'Always couples?' asked Kat.

'As far as we know,' replied Eve, 'We've only identified six of the victims so far but they were couples and the other victims are all male and female pairs.'

'All right. Kat, start looking for missing couples from the relevant periods. Eve, do we know when they died?'

'As far as I can tell, this couple, May and Andrew Evans, were the first in nineteen ninety-two. Followed by John and Susan Robinson in nineteen ninety-four, this unidentified couple in nineteen ninety-six...'

As Eve continued, it became clear that the killer was striking once every two years and that he was due to kill again this year. Boyd waiting until Eve had finished then turned to Grace, saying,

'What are we looking for?'

'It's an unusual psycopathy...'

'Come on, Grace, give me something to go on,' said Boyd, impatiently.

'All right but you understand that this won't be very accurate?'

'Yes, yes, whatever. Just get on with it!'

Giving Boyd a level stare, Grace said,

'It's almost certainly a man working alone. He has trouble forming relationships, particularly with women. He may have been locked in a room or a cupboard for long periods of time as a child.'

'You're sure it's one man?' asked Boyd.

'I think so, yes. The method of killing suggests a need to overpower and control the victims himself. Having a partner would tarnish that.'

'Is it sexual?' asked Spence.

'It's hard to say,' said Grace, 'Is there any evidence of food or water being brought to any of the victims, Eve?'

'None.'

'Then it's probably not sexual though there may be a sexual element to it.'

'Very helpful,' said Boyd sardonically.

'I'm sorry, Boyd, but I haven't had time to read the files yet.'

Grace sounded irritated and Boyd backed down, turning to Spence and saying,

'We start at the beginning, with the murder of May and Andrew Evans. When were they reported missing?'

'On the eighth of February nineteen ninety-two, by their son Jason. He came home from school on the seventh, which was a Friday, and found his mother out. There was a note on the table, saying that his parents were going out for the evening and to make his own tea. This was normal for a Friday so Jason made his tea, did his homework and watched television then went to bed. When he woke the next morning and realised that they hadn't come home, he called the police.'

'What did the police do?'

'Initially nothing. Just told Jason not to worry. Reading between the lines, it's clear that they thought that May and Andrew Evans would turn up, hungover and embarrassed by all the fuss.'

'But they didn't?'

'No, Jason kept ringing the police and on the morning of February tenth, he was joined by Andrew Evans' employer, a Paul Jenkins, who was adamant that whatever Andrew might have done at the weekend, he would have been there for work on Monday. Apparently, Andrew Evans had never missed a day's work in eighteen years. At which point the police started making inquiries. However, they didn't have any success and it wasn't until a year later that their bodies were found in the basement of a disused block of flats.'

'And the police had no luck tracing their movements on the Friday night that they disappeared?' asked Grace.

'None. They usually went to a pub or club but no one remembered seeing them at any of their usual haunts.'

'So either they went somewhere different or they didn't get that far,' said Boyd.

'How old was Jason Evans at the time of his parents disappearance?' asked Grace.

'...Born tenth January nineteen eighty, so he was twelve.'

'Was he an only child?'

'Yes.'

'Poor boy. Do we know what happened to him?'

'Went to live with an aunt in Peckham.'

'See if you can track him down,' said Boyd, 'We need to know if he remembers anything else from the time of the murder.'

'Yes, Sir.'

'When it became a murder inquiry, who did the murder squad like for it?'

'A Frank Buskin, Sir,' replied Kat, 'He and Andrew had had a fight a few days before but he had an alibi and there was no evidence linking him to the crime scene.'

'Anyone else in the frame?'

'The police looked at Ted Jenkins, Paul Jenkins brother, because he'd had an affair with May Evans, but the affair had been over for some time before the two disappeared and there was no evidence that Andrew Evans ever found out about it,' said Spence.

'Anyone else?'

'May Evans had had an argument with a friend a few days before but the woman involved, a Rachel Blackwater, was ruled out because the officers didn't think that she was physically capable of carrying out the crime.'

'Why?' asked Boyd, 'Was she disabled?'

'No, just very small. The officer who interviewed her estimated her height as under five foot and she was slightly built too.'

'That doesn't seem an adequate reason for ruling her out. After all, the bodies weren't moved, were they, Eve?'

'No.'

'And there was no sign on the bodies that they'd been restrained or knocked out and then brought there?'

'No, though we can't rule out something like chloroform. The bodies were all found at least two months after death so the internal organs didn't yield any useful information.'

'Carrying unconscious bodies is very hard work, not to mention conspicuous so it's far more likely that the killer got them to walk there under their own steam. So the killer needed cunning not strength. Find out everything you can about Rachel Blackwater,' said Boyd.

'You sure?' asked Spence, 'I thought we were looking for a man?'

'We probably are,' agreed Boyd, 'It's just...imagine you're out for the night with your partner and someone you know slightly tries to get you to go somewhere remote with them...'

'Okay...' said Spence.

'Who are you more likely to go with? Someone who looks like me or someone who looks like Grace?'

'Grace, definitely,' said Spence, grinning, 'I'd be very suspicious if you asked me to go somewhere remote with you, Sir.'

Everyone chuckled and Boyd said,

'Precisely. Grace?'

'Statistically, the killer is much more likely to be a man...but it's not impossible that it's a woman. Let me look at the files and get back to you.'

'Right. Let's get on with it,' said Boyd.

The team got down to work.


	2. Chapter 2

The team worked steadily until lunchtime. Previously, Boyd would have expected them to eat sandwiches whilst working at their desks but since Grace's illness they had been going out to lunch. Boyd had been horrified by how little Grace had managed to eat during her chemotherapy and was determined that she was going to regain the weight she'd lost as soon as possible, even buying her favourite biscuits for her to have with her tea in the office. Grace tolerated his over-protectiveness, knowing that part of it was born from guilt over her near death at the hands of Linda Cummings, merely saying,

'When I'm twenty stone remember that it's all your fault, Boyd.'

Boyd had smiled broadly and said,

'That's all right, Grace, I'm after you for your mind.'

'In other words, have I finished that profile yet?'

'Got it in one.'

Grace had smiled and gone back to work, reassured by their flirting. After the revelation that Luke had been murdered and the investigation into Linda's death, she had been worried that Boyd would spiral further down into the dark place that he'd been inhabiting for so long now but instead he was gradually coming out of it. Boyd never talked about his feelings but Grace suspected that he'd been forced to face some of his demons and in doing so had overcome them. Whatever the reason, he was in a much better place now. And the team were only too glad to have a hot meal in the middle of the day.

After lunch, Boyd called all of them, except for Eve, together for a progress report. Spence went first, saying,

'I've traced Jason Evans and Ted and Paul Jenkins, Sir. No luck with Rachel Blackwater yet.'

'All right. Kat, any luck with missing persons?'

'I've got several possible matches, Sir, but I'm only up to nineteen ninety-eight so far. I hadn't realised how many adults go missing every year. I've sent the details over to Eve to see if they match any of the bodies.'

'Keep plugging away. I know it's like looking for a needle in a haystack but we need to know the identities of the victims.'

'Yes, Sir.'

'Grace? Care to share anything?'

'Well, I've read through the files on the victims whose identities we know and there are some similarities. All of the couples regularly went out to pubs and clubs at the weekend, drinking and socialising with friends. Their friends all described them as lively extroverts.'

'They were all party animals?' asked Spence.

'Basically, yes,' agreed Grace.

'So what does that tell us about our killer?' said Boyd.

'That in all probability he's very inept socially. He longs to be part of the group but he lacks the confidence to join in. He's probably never had a sexual relationship. He feels excluded and jealous.'

'You still think it's a man?' asked Boyd.

'Yes though until we know who a few more of the victims are, anything I tell you is pure speculation, Boyd.'

'All right. In your opinion, what age and ethnicity are we looking for?'

'You know as well as I do that most serial killers are white and usually start killing in their early to mid-twenties.'

'So he'd be mid-forties now?'

'Probably...'

'But?' asked Boyd.

'This is only statistics, Boyd. Don't close your mind to other possibilities.'

'So what you're saying is to ignore your profile if I don't think it fits the evidence?'

'Yes...' said Grace, hesitantly.

Boyd grinned wickedly and said,

'I think I can agree to do that.'

Spence and Kat smothered their smiles as Grace said dryly,

'I was certain that you could.'

'Anything else, anyone?'

Boyd looked round at the rest of the team as he spoke and when they all shook his head, he said,

'Spence, you and Kat go and do preliminary interviews with Paul and Ted Jenkins. Grace and I will see if Jason Evans remembers anything extra from the time that his parents were murdered.'

'We need to ring first,' said Grace firmly, 'to give him a chance to prepare for all the memories being raked up again.'

'Fine,' said Boyd, taking Jason Evans' contact details from Spence and handing them to Grace. Grace smiled wryly and went into her office to make the call.

An hour later, Grace and Boyd were in Boyd's car, on their way to Jason Evans' address. For once, Grace hadn't argued about using Boyd's car; it was the coldest day of the winter so far and Boyd's German monstrosity had a far better heating system than her car did.

As they drove, Grace tried to figure out the settings on her new phone but after a few minutes she gave up, saying,

'I wish I'd never bought this phone.'

'Too many apps?'

There was wry sympathy in Boyd's voice and Grace remembered the amount of swearing that Boyd had done when he'd changed his phone a few months ago. Looking irritably at her phone, Grace said,

'No. The salesman told me that it had ultra fast mobile connectivity but what he forgot to tell me was that it automatically connects to the internet as soon as you turn it on, which means that whenever I want to make a call I have to disconnect from the internet first. It's annoying.'

'I'm sure it is. Isn't it in the settings?'

'What do you think I've been trying to do?'

'Get Spence to look at it when we get back.'

'Eve's better with technology...but really, I want to sort it out myself.'

'Well, it'll have to wait; we're here.'

Boyd parked the car and got out, waiting impatiently whilst Grace put her phone in her coat pocket, picked up her handbag and got out. Grace shivered in the bitterly cold air and Boyd said,

'All right?'

'Yes, it's just cold, Boyd.'

'I suppose it is a bit chilly.'

Grace glared at Boyd as his lips twitched but the glare softened as he said,

'How about I buy you a drink later to make up for dragging you out of the office on a day like today?'

'I expect a decent red.'

'You always do.'

Smiling they walked towards the small house where Jason Evans lived. The path was icy so Boyd automatically offered Grace his arm. She took it with a smile but said,

'Is this for me or for you? My boots have excellent grip.'

'Just trying to be a gentleman, Grace.'

They had reached the door so Grace bit back the sarcastic rejoinder that was on her lips and waited for the door to open.

Jason Evans was a short, thin man with a youthful looking face. He took their coats and offered them tea before leading them into the lounge. Everywhere was very neat and clean. Whilst Jason made tea for them, Grace wandered around the room looking at the photos and ornaments. The photos were all of a middle-aged woman, either alone or with a teenaged Jason. Boyd came and joined her, saying after a few seconds,

'The aunt?'

'Presumably.'

'None of his mother and father though.'

'Not here but he may keep those elsewhere or he may find it too painful to have pictures of them displayed.'

Grace turned and tripped over the edge of a rug. Boyd grabbed her, pulling her up and towards him, stopping her from falling. Grace ended up flush against his chest holding on to his arms as she regained her balance. For a moment time seemed to stop as they both became acutely aware of each other. Grace inhaled sharply then shivered as the movement pushed her breasts into Boyd's chest. Boyd tightened his grip on her, pulling her more tightly against him and Grace raised her eyes to his. They looked questioningly at each other as the tension between them rose.

The moment was broken by Jason returning with their tea. Moving hurriedly apart, Grace and Boyd sat on the sofa, resuming their professional masks. Grace took a sip of tea and said,

'This is lovely. Thank you.'

'You're welcome,' said Jason.

'Is it all right if we ask you some questions about your parents, Jason?' said Grace.

'Why do you need to?'

'We've found some new evidence,' said Boyd.

'What new evidence?'

'I'm sorry but I can't tell you that.'

'Do you think it might lead you to their killer?'

'It's early days but I think so, yes,' said Boyd.

Jason got out of his chair and turned his back on them for a minute, saying,

'I'm sorry, I just find it hard to talk about.'

'We understand,' said Grace, 'and if you want us to leave we will but it might really help our investigation if you could answer some questions.'

There was a pause then Jason said,

'All right.'

He sat back down and said,

'What do you want to know?'

'We're interested in your parents friends,' said Grace gently, 'Do you remember any of their names?'

'I only knew a few of their friends, the ones that came to the house.'

'Of course...anything you can remember...' prompted Grace.

'There was Ted and Paul Jenkins...'

'Yes...'

'And Bob and Sue...I'm sorry, I can't remember their surname but they lived a few doors down from us. And Frank and Bill would come round and play poker sometimes. And Mum had some female friends who would come round sometimes, Rachel was one of them...Eileen and Hilda, I think it was.'

'Do you remember any of their surnames,' asked Boyd.

'No, sorry. I wasn't really interested in their friends.'

'Understandable,' said Boyd.

'Can you remember anyone new coming into their lives in the last few months before they disappeared?' asked Grace.

'No.'

'Are you sure?' said Boyd, 'It could have been a work colleague, someone new working behind the bar at the pub. Anyone like that.'

Jason thought for a while then said,

'Dad did mention someone new at work, I think.'

'Thank you,' said Boyd.

'I hope it helps,' said Jason, looking down at his lap.

'We'll keep you informed,' said Boyd.

'Okay.'

'Thank you so much for seeing us today,' said Grace, 'We know how hard this must be for you.'

'It's all right, you're just doing your job,' said Jason.

Grace and Boyd put their mugs down and stood up. Jason stood and said,

'I'll get your coats.'

Jason disappeared into a back room and Grace and Boyd started walking towards the door. Boyd noticed that Grace was frowning,

'Something?'

'I don't know,' she said, 'Just a feeling...'

Grace broke off as Jason returned with their coats. He handed Boyd his, then held Grace's coat for her to put on. Boyd put his coat on and turned towards the front door.

'Peter...'

Boyd turned back and froze as he saw Jason holding Grace firmly and pressing a gun against her temple. Boyd shifted his weight, preparing to make a move but Jason moved backwards, saying,

'Stay there or she dies.'

Boyd took a tiny step back, raised his hands and said,

'All right.'

'Good.'

'Please don't hurt her.'

'Do what I say and I won't.'

'What do you want me to do?'

'We're going for a drive.'

Following Jason's orders, Boyd led the way to his car.


	3. Chapter 3

When they got to the car, Jason said,

'Unlock the car then throw the keys on the pavement across the road.'

Boyd did as he was told then waited.

'Get in the boot.'

Boyd opened the boot and started to climb in.

'Wait! Throw your phone on the ground.'

Boyd looked at the distance between them and tensed. Jason tightened his grip on Grace and said,

'She'll be dead before you get to me.'

Gritting his teeth, Boyd reached into his pocket and took out his phone, tossing it on to the pavement at Grace's feet, saying,

'I've done it. Please, don't hurt her.'

'In the boot and close it on yourself. And in case you're thinking of trying anything clever, if we get pulled over, I'll shoot her.'

'I'm not going to do anything. I promise.'

Boyd climbed in and pulled the boot shut. Jason waited until he'd heard the latch shut, then said to Grace,

'Give me your phone.'

'It's in my handbag, I can't get to it.'

Grace kept her eyes lowered and her voice quiet, hoping that no one would call her. Jason looked at her handbag compressed against her side by his body and grunted indecisively before pulling her towards the road.  
Jason held the gun to her head as they crossed the road, gripping her tightly. Grace made no attempt to escape, knowing that it would only lead to her death. There would be a better time. She obediently bent down and picked up Boyd's car keys and crossed back to the car. As they crossed back she slipped her hand into her pocket and opened her phone. Jason opened the driver's door and said,

'Get in.'

Grace got in and waited. As Jason scrambled hurriedly into the seat behind her, she quickly slid her phone out of her pocket and down the side of the seat, between the seat and the door.

'Give me your phone.'

Grace rummaged in her handbag for as long as she dared, hoping that someone would come past but the bitter weather meant that people were only going out for essential things and it was too early for school pick-up so the street stayed empty. Eventually, she said,

'It's not here, I wonder where I put it? Perhaps I put it in my pocket.'

She put a hand in each pocket, then said,

'I must have left it at the office.'

Jason stuck a hand in each of Grace's pockets then grabbed her bag, emptying it on the back seat, checking the contents. He scowled for a minute then said,

'Start driving.'

Grace put the key in the ignition then said,

'I'll have to adjust the seat, I can't even reach the pedals from here.'

'Do it quickly,' said Jason, jamming the gun painfully into her side.

Grace found the lever and pulled the seat forward then turned the engine on. The pressure of the gun eased slightly as Jason said,

'Go to the end of the road and turn right.'

Grace put the car into gear and pulled out, deliberately cutting up another car, ignoring the squeal of brakes, casually saying,

'You know, Boyd will never let me drive his car, he's such a chauvinist.'

As Grace followed Jason's orders, she drove as erratically as she dared. She didn't want to be pulled over but she did want people to remember her. She suppressed a smile as they turned on to the North Circular; it should be very easy to get her photo taken here. Doing her best to appear indifferent, she jumped the first three sets of traffic lights, delighted when she saw the camera flash at the third set. Jason jumped and said,

'What was that?'

'It's all right, they haven't got any film in.'

'How do you know?'

'I work for the police; Traffic let us know when they put film in.'

Jason looked dubious and Grace resisted the temptation to elaborate on the lie, knowing that it would just make him more suspicious.

'Don't jump any more lights.'

'All right.'

The road cleared and Grace pressed gently on the accelerator, taking the big car up to forty miles per hour and keeping it there, for once delighted that there were numerous speed cameras along their route. The more clues she could leave behind the better because she had a horrible feeling that they wouldn't be rescuing themselves. Almost certain that it was pointless, she said,

'You don't have to do this, Jason.'

'You don't understand,' said Jason coldly.

'Your parents abused you didn't they? Did they lock you in a cupboard? And beat you?'

'It was what I deserved.'

'No, it wasn't, Jason.'

'Yes it was... and then I gave them what they deserved.'

'They deserved to die of dehydration? Why? Because of what they had done to you?'

'No, because they were hypocrites.'

'Hypocrites? Why, Jason?'

'They told me that they were punishing me to teach me right from wrong but then my mother started locking me up for no reason. It only took me a few of weeks to realise that it was always Tuesday and Thursday evening so I tested her, I invented a club on those nights and asked if I could go to it. She was delighted and even gave me money for chips.'

'She was having an affair, wasn't she?'

'Yes, I saw her and Ted Jenkins rutting away like animals.'

'That must have been a terrible shock for you.'

'It was but you know what was worse?'

'No, what?'

'My father knew. He knew all along and did nothing.'

'He told you this?'

'Yes. I told him that she was cheating on him and he said that it didn't matter, that he was screwing some woman from work so that made it all right. Yet only a few days before he'd given me a lecture on sexual purity and faithfulness.'

'That was extremely hypocritical of him.'

'Yes so I decided to punish them.'

'By locking them in somewhere.'

'Yes. I was only going to leave them there overnight but when I went back in the morning to let them out my father said that he was going to cane me every day for the rest of my life so I left them there.'

'And called the police and reported them missing; that was very clever of you, Jason.'

'The police never suspected anything.'

'No, you completely deceived them. What about your aunt? Did she ever suspect?'

Jason dug the gun further into Grace's ribs and she winced, 'Aunt Sue is a wonderful person, don't talk about her!'

'All right, I won't. So what made you kill again?'

'Aunt Sue met this man. He seemed nice but then she discovered that he was married. She was heartbroken... so I killed him and his wife so she'd never have to see either of them again.'

'I understand. And the others? It is you that's killed all the others, isn't it, Jason?'

'They're all liars and cheaters... just like you?'

'Like me, Jason? I'm not in a relationship with anyone.'

'Don't lie to me. You're married, I can see your ring from here.'

'I'm not married, not any more. I'm divorced. I wear the ring at work to protect me from unwanted attention.'

Even as she said it, Grace thought how weak it sounded, which was ironic really as it was true. It stopped suspects from trying to use her marital status against her and provided a deterrent against random sexual advances in the workplace.

'You're lying. You're married and you're fucking Detective Superintendent Boyd.'

'I'm not. Boyd and I are just friends.'

'Don't treat me like I'm an idiot!' shouted Jason, 'I saw the way you looked at each other.'

Jason was digging the gun into her ribs and Grace let out a hiss of pain. Trying to stay calm she said quietly,

'Boyd and I have never had sex.'

'You're lying. You think you can lie to me because you think I'm stupid, don't you?'

'No, Jason, I think you're very intelligent actually.'

'Good. Then stop lying to me.'

'I'm not...'

Grace was cut off by her phone ringing. Jason jumped and said,

'Where's that coming from?'

'I don't know...wait...I think it's beneath the seat.'

Jason kept the gun jabbed against Grace's side as he fished about, eventually finding the phone. Swearing, he opened the window and threw it out. Scowling, he directed Grace to turn into one of the side streets and they began winding their way through the back roads.

After about half an hour, Jason got Grace to park the car outside a derelict office block. He made her get out first, keeping the gun pointed at her all the time, then he got out and stood behind her, pressing the gun against her head,

'Release the boot latch.'

Feeling completely helpless, Grace did as she was told. Boyd rocketed out of the boot holding a spanner in his right hand but Grace and Jason were at the other end of the car, out of reach. Smirking, Jason said,

'Put the spanner back in the boot and get out your handcuffs and cuff your wrists together in front of you.'

'Jason, don't do this,' said Boyd.

'Shut up or I'll shoot.'

Boyd met Grace's eyes for a moment, seeing the fear that she was trying to hide. With slow, careful movements, he put the spanner back in the boot, took out his handcuffs and fastened them around his wrists. Jason made him test them then said,

'Walk ahead of us.'

Boyd walked slowly into the old office building, hoping that Jason would let the gap between them decrease but whenever he glanced back, they were at least ten feet behind him.

'Turn right and go through the door on your left and go down the stairs.'

Boyd walked slowly down the stairs, hearing Jason and Grace start down a few steps later. When Boyd got to the bottom, Jason said,

'Go through the door straight ahead of you.'

Boyd did as he was told and found himself in some sort of storage room. He turned as the door opened. Jason pushed Grace as hard as he could towards Boyd. Boyd grunted as Grace hit his chest, then sagged as Jason hit him on the head with the butt of the gun. As his vision, blurred the last thing Boyd saw was Grace running desperately towards the closing door.


	4. Chapter 4

Boyd groaned and tried to open his eyes. How much had he had to drink last night? His head felt terrible. And one of his eyes seemed to be stuck closed. He reached his hand up to try to rub his eye, puzzled to find his hands cuffed, and heard a voice say,

'Boyd, you need to stay still.'

After a moment he realised that it was Grace's voice and then he became aware that he was half lying on the floor with his upper body leaning against Grace's body and his head resting on her chest. Which was a good result whichever way you looked at it so he decided to graciously obey her instruction and stopped trying to move, saying,

'What happened?'

'He pistol whipped you. I'm trying to staunch the bleeding.'

'Oh...'

Boyd lay there and tried to collect his scattered thoughts as the pain in his head became centred on the pressure that Grace was applying. After a few minutes, the pressure eased off and Grace said,

'It's stopped. Thank goodness for that. I was afraid you were going to bleed to death.'

Grace's hand moved, gently mopping up the blood on his eye. Boyd blinked as his vision began to return to normal.

'No, I'm too young to die, Grace.'

'Unfortunately, I don't think Jason Evans agrees with you.'

The minute he heard the name, Boyd's memories flooded back,

'Fuck! How long was I out?'

'About fifteen minutes. Long enough for Jason to barricade the door, I'm afraid. I tried to break the door down but I couldn't... and you were bleeding. I'm sorry, Boyd, I should have done something earlier.'

'Like what?'

'I should have crashed the car.'

'Bollocks! We would both be dead if you had.'

'If I'd got the angle right, Jason might have been thrown to the side and I might have been able to get out before he'd shot me and...'

'No you wouldn't,' said Boyd, cutting across Grace without hesitation, 'The air bag would have gone off, trapping you in the front and the force of the crash would almost certainly have killed me. Which reminds me, you're never driving my car again; what the hell were you doing?'

'I was trying to leave a trail.'

Grace explained about her erratic driving and said,

'I triggered one of the traffic light cameras on the North Circular and two of the speed cameras, I think. And my phone was active until he threw it out of the car. And hopefully a lot of people will remember my driving.'

'I wouldn't bank on it, there are a lot a crazy drivers in London. But the team should be able to pick us up on CCTV from where you triggered the speed cameras so we have a chance.'

'There aren't any CCTV cameras around here though, I looked.'

'No, but they'll be able to narrow it down.'

'True. And Spence and Kat will make Jason talk.'

'Assuming he doesn't do a runner.'

'I don't think he will. He thinks the police are idiots so he'll try to lie his way out of it.'

'I wrote Jason's name down on a piece of paper and left it in the boot so as long as he doesn't torch the car, they'll know it's him.'

'So all we've got to do is survive until they find us.'

'That's all right then. How long does it take to die of dehydration?'

'Three days but we might be able to find some water. I watched him start to barricade the doors and he had to improvise and he hasn't cleared this room out either.'

'How well is it barricaded?'

'Very well, unfortunately. He was clearly impressed by your size and strength.'

'So many people are.'

Boyd's smug tone of voice made Grace smile and she said,

'I see you're feeling better.'

'A bit. My heads feels like shit but at least I can see now.'

'Do you think you can sit by yourself now? I need to find out what's in here.'

Boyd reluctantly moved to let Grace get up but said,

'Any chance you could dig out the key to my handcuffs first. It's in my right hand jacket pocket.'

Grace moved in front of him and undid his coat, sliding her hand inside, feeling for Boyd's jacket pocket. Boyd made himself stay completely still and forced a neutral expression on to his face even though her touch was sending shivers down his spine. A few seconds later, Grace pulled out the key and fumbled it into the lock and turned. The lock opened and Boyd took off the handcuffs and rubbed his wrists to get rid of the slight soreness.

'All right?' asked Grace.

'Yes, I didn't tighten them properly.'

'Good.'

Boyd really tried not to look at Grace's body as she got up but was aware that he failed dismally. Even bundled up in several layers of clothing she was still gorgeous.

Spence looked at his phone in frustration, saying,

'No answer again.'

'Perhaps they're still interviewing Jason Evans,' said Kat.

'It's been over two hours and anyway, one of them would have picked up by now. Boyd only ignores his phone if he's in the interview room.'

'They've probably just gone for a drink or something...'

'Not without checking in first,' said Spence, completely oblivious to Kat's not very subtle innuendo.

'Has Eve heard from them? Do you want me to go and check, Sir?'

Spence nodded so Kat saved her work and went to the lab.

Boyd levered himself slowly and painfully on to his knees then used the wall as support as he stood. His head pounded but his vision stayed clear so he leant against the wall and looked around. They were in what had obviously been a store room; there were shelving units and filing cabinets along with some trestle tables and folding chairs. It was windowless, lit by a couple of fluorescent lights, bleak and entirely functional.  
The shelves still had an assortment of items on them and as he watched, Grace began looking through them. It was tempting just to watch her and wait for the pounding in his head to subside but Boyd forced himself to stop admiring the way her hair framed her face and went over to the door. A few seconds peering through the small pane of glass in the door was all that was needed to confirm what Grace had told him; the door wasn't just locked, Jason had filled the stairwell with furniture, wedging it in. If the door had opened inwards, it might not have mattered, they might have been able to clear a path to the stairs once he'd picked the lock. However, the door opened outwards and even if he'd been uninjured, Boyd still couldn't have barged his way through it. Turning away, Boyd gingerly made his way over to Grace, saying,

'Found anything useful?'

'Some dustsheets.'

'Dustsheets? I know the place is a bit dreary but redecorating seems a bit unnecessary in the circumstances.'

'Ha ha. To sleep on, Boyd; that floor doesn't look very comfortable to me.'

Boyd looked down at the cracked and stained lino and said,

'You're right but we could do with more than a couple of dustsheets.'

'Can you get those filing cabinets open? Paper's not a feather mattress but it'll be softer than the floor and warmer too.'

'As long as I haven't lost my lockpicks...' Boyd felt in his coat pocket, finding the familiar shapes, then continued, 'I'll have them open in a few minutes.'

Boyd moved over to the filing cabinets and began picking their locks.

Spence looked over at Eve, making no attempt to hide his anxiety,

'You haven't heard from them all afternoon either?'

'No,' replied Eve, 'I've tried them both several times and their phones ring then go to voicemail.'

'Can you trace their phones?' asked Spence.

'Is it really necessary?' said Kat.

Spence scowled at Kat, who continued,

'It's a major invasion of their privacy.'

Spence glared but nodded. Turning to Eve, he said,

'What do you think?'

'I'm worried too. Have you spoken to the person they were going to see?'

'Jason Evans? No, I'll call him now. What's his number?'

Kat handed him Jason Evans' number and Spence dialled. It was answered quickly and Kat and Eve waited impatiently as Spence said,

'Mr Evans? Detective Inspector Jordan here... Yes, I'm from the Cold Case Unit too...I wondered if they were still with you?...When did they leave?...I see...Thank you, Sir...Yes, we'll keep you updated on our progress with the case, Sir...Goodbye.'

Spence hung up and turned to Eve and Kat, saying grimly,

'Evans thinks they left him at about three.'

'That's over an hour and a half ago,' said Eve, equally grim, 'They should have been back an hour ago.'

'Could they be caught in traffic?' asked Kat.

'Unlikely, Boyd knows all the back routes, but I'll check with Traffic,' said Spence, 'Kat see if you can trace their phones.'

'Sir.'

'And me?' asked Eve.

'I'm sorry, Eve, but I need you to get back to the lab. If something has happened to Grace and Boyd, we'll need any information you can give us.'

Eve nodded unhappily,

'Understood. Keep me updated.'

'I will,' promised Spence.

Eve left and Spence picked up his phone again.

Boyd was picking the last lock when he heard Grace's voice saying exultantly,

'Boyd, over here. Look!'

Boyd walked over to where Grace was standing and saw tucked into the corner, almost concealed by mops and buckets, a large sink. Grace looked at the taps covetously and said,

'Do you think the water's on?'

'No but there might be some water left in the pipes.'

'I'll find something to put it in.'

Grace darted back to the shelves and began to rummage, returning triumphantly with a pack of paper cups. She took out a cup, held it under the tap and turned the tap on. Water came out and Grace filled the cup, smiling exultantly. She handed the full cup to Boyd and filled another for herself, making sure to turn the tap off tightly afterwards. They drank their water then Grace returned to the shelves and Boyd to the filing cabinets. Boyd unlocked the last of the locks then said,

'So where do you want this bed then?'

Spence put down his phone and said,

'Get Eve in here.'

'Yes, Sir,' said Kat.

When she returned with Eve, Spence said,

'Traffic have just had a complaint from a member of the public about a woman driving erratically and dangerously. When they ran the plates, it was Boyd's car. They're sending CCTV footage over now.'

Five minutes later, they were watching as Boyd's car wandered across lanes, cut people up and jumped traffic lights.

'Boyd's not driving that,' said Spence, 'No way. Can we see into the car?'

'I'll try the camera on that corner,' said Kat, selecting a different CCTV camera and scrolling through the footage. When she pressed play they saw Grace in the driver's seat with Boyd nowhere to be seen.

'That doesn't make sense, Grace is a good driver and where's Boyd?' said Eve, 'Slow it down and play it again.'

Eve peered intently at footage and suddenly said,

'Stop it right there. Enlarge it.'

Enlarged they could clearly see that there was someone sat behind Grace, one hand reaching round the seat.

'Enlarge just that section there,' said Spence.

Ten seconds later they were looking at the gun pressed into Grace's side.


	5. Chapter 5

Boyd looked with disgust at the patch of floor in the corner by the door that Grace had designated as their 'bed'. It was filthy and he really wanted more than two inches of paper between him and it. He opened the first filing cabinet and swore; it was more or less empty. Boyd opened the rest of the filing cabinets, finding them all same.

'I'm afraid we're going to be a bit uncomfortable, Grace,' he said.

'Why?'

'These filing cabinets are mostly empty. I don't know why they bothered locking them, a complete waste of bloody time.'

Grace stopped going through the shelves and went and stood beside Boyd, staring at the filing cabinets.

'We'll need to find some other way to make a bed then. What about those tables? Will they take our weight?'

'Yours perhaps, mine, almost certainly not.'

'Unfold one and see.'

'Waste of time, Grace. A rickety old trestle table isn't going to make a decent bed.'

'Just try it, Boyd.'

'Why? What's the big deal? Yes, the dust sheets won't be exactly four star luxury but we'll be fine.'

'Don't you ever pay any attention to the weather forecast?'

'Not usually, no. Why? Is it supposed to snow?'

'No, they were talking about a record low earlier,' said Grace quietly, 'I think they said minus twelve or worse.'

'Fuck.'

'Exactly. I don't know about you but I don't intend to let Jason Evans win by dying of hypothermia overnight.'

'Not a chance. I'm going to make that little shit wish he'd never been born.'

'It's his parents fault that he's the way he is.'

'I'm sure it is but he put a gun to your head and threatened to kill you. When I get my hands on him, he's going to wish he'd cut his own balls off with a blunt knife instead.'

Grace knew that she should point out that Jason was probably criminally insane and thus technically not responsible for his own actions but she was absolutely furious that he had used her to make Boyd to do what he was told and she hated the fact that she hadn't been able to stop him. Intellectually Grace knew that virtually every man she met was physically stronger than her but being forced to confront it was extremely unpleasant. She was also determined not to die. Her cancer was gone and she'd been revelling in life and there was no way that she was going to let a psychopath end it so abruptly. Looking around the room, she said,

'There must be a way. Think, Boyd!'

'All right, all right. Just give me a minute, would you? I have got the mother of all headaches you know.'

Grace waited impatiently whilst Boyd thought, forcing herself not to speak, knowing that whilst she was the more intelligent of the two of them, Boyd was better when it came to narrow-focussed objectives. After a minute, Boyd went over to where the tables were stacked and lifted the first one off the pile. Looking over his shoulder at her, he said,

'Found any plastic sheeting?'

'No, but there are some bin liners.'

'Bring them over.'

Grace got the bin liners and took them over to Boyd.

DAC Maureen Smith was not a happy woman. She never was when Boyd entered her life but today her annoyance was not because of the man's tactlessness, volatility, disregard for the rules or smug arrogance. Today she was annoyed because he had somehow allowed Doctor Foley to be kidnapped at gunpoint and had disappeared from the face of the Earth himself. The Home Office were incredibly unhappy that one of their most respected and well known scientists was in imminent danger and were threatening to remove all of their specialists from the Met unless they produced Grace Foley unharmed immediately. So, instead of leading the hunt, DAC Smith was being forced to make placatory and pleading phone calls to an assortment of Whitehall officials, most of whom had absolutely nothing to do with Grace Foley on a day-to-day basis.  
At least the CCU's forensic pathologist showed no signs of allowing herself to be reassigned. In fact the only bright spot in DAC Smith's evening had been listening to Doctor Lockhart calmly telling her immediate superior that of course she wasn't leaving the CCU and that in fact she had asked a colleague to come in and help her get through the evidence from all the crime scenes. Doctor Lockhart had then pleaded press of work and hung up.  
Maureen Smith beckoned DI Jordan forward and signed the paperwork he held out, all whilst mouthing platitudes into her phone, thinking that at least Boyd encouraged his subordinates to think for themselves. Boyd's and Foley's phones had been traced and uniform were on their way to retrieve them and Jordan and Howard were using the CCTV footage to try to find out where Boyd's car had come from and where it was now. DI Jordan had also put an alert out, on both the missing people and Boyd's car, and if only she could get off the fucking phone, she might be able to do something useful too. Boyd might be a total pain in the arse but he was one of theirs and no one got to kidnap or kill him without the full force of the Met descending upon them.

Boyd paused to give his back a break and to consider the structure that he'd made. As beds went it was going to be firm to the point of misery but at least there was a chance that they'd survive the coming night. Yes, they were indoors and below ground so the temperature wouldn't get as low as it would outside but Boyd knew from his time on the beat that hypothermia was still a very real danger for them. Grace came towards him, carrying the dust sheets and he took them with a nod, saying,

'At least they're big enough to be folded over.'

'Yes.'

Together they folded the dustsheets in half and spread them over the 'bed'. Boyd grimaced and said,

'Now for the filing cabinets. You fill all the cups with water.'

With a sigh, he went over to the first filing cabinet and started wrestling it into place.

When Grace had challenged him to make a bed that would enable them to survive the cold he'd had to think back to his long ago days of being a boy scout. His scout master had taught them all how to make shelters and had drummed into them the two essential elements for survival, insulation from the ground and a roof of some sort to keep their body heat in (though that thankfully they already had). They'd had very few materials to work with but Boyd had done his best. The trestle tables had turned out to be as rickety as he'd suspected when up but they stacked neatly with the legs folded so he'd used six of them, in two piles, as the base of the bed. The other two tables ran between the 'bed' and the walls. The bed had a layer of bin bags, followed by a thin layer of paper and the dustsheets to provide padding and warmth. The other long side would have two filing cabinets, lying on their sides, one on top the other to stop everything from falling off. With a grunt of pain, Boyd pushed the first filing cabinet into place.

Spence looked up from Kat's computer as someone came in to the CCU's main room then leapt to his feet as he recognised the new arrival,

'Frankie!'

'Hi Spence. Is it true?'

'Yes,' said Spence sombrely, 'Grace has definitely been kidnapped and we've got no idea what's happened to Boyd.'

Spence filled Frankie in on the little they knew. She listened attentively and said,

'Boyd may have been in the boot of the car. Have they found it yet?'

'No, not yet.'

Frankie nodded and said,

'Eve asked me to come and help her in the lab. Keep us updated.'

'I will.'

Frankie disappeared in the direction of the lab and Spence returned to the CCTV footage that he and Kat were using to track the movements of Boyd's car.

The filing cabinets were in place and they'd taken care certain biological necessities and were now standing looking at the bed. Boyd looked at his watch and said,

'Oh look, it's nearly seven o'clock. Ready for bed?'

Boyd's voice was sarcastic and Grace smiled ruefully, saying,

'A bit before my usual time but let's get organised so we can start warming up.'

They put the cups of water on top of the filing cabinets then Grace reluctantly removed her boots, saying,

'What do you think? Coats on top for warmth and the rest of our clothes underneath for extra padding?'


End file.
